The Kenai Central football team defeated Redington 84-0 on Saturday in Mid Alaska Conference action at Ed Hollier Field in Kenai.
The Kardinals move to 2-1 in the league and 4-2 overall, while Redington falls to 0-3 and 0-6.
Kenai had defeated the Huskies 54-14 in nonconference play on Aug. 25, but moved that domination to a new level Saturday.
Kardinals head coach Jake Brand said the Huskies were missing a few key performers from the previous meeting.
“Obviously, their roster is pretty short right now,” he said. “Credit to our kids. I tell them, ‘You’ve got to win the ones you are supposed to win.’
“They came out, they’re hyped up and pumped up, they knew it was a big game and they took care of business.”
In this case, taking care of business meant leading 49-0 with 3:49 left in the first quarter after running just 12 offensive plays.
Brand said the offense had something to prove after losing 14-13 at Houston the previous week.
“Offensively, that left a bad taste in their mouth,” he said. “A couple kids were beat up, and they healed up over the week.
“They wanted to get back to usual business.”
Kenai rolled up 245 yards on the ground and 174 through the air, while Redington had 62 yards of total offense.
Bobby Hayes rushed 10 times for 137 yards, scoring three touchdowns on the ground and another through the air.
William Wilson had six rushes for 58 yards, scoring twice on the ground and once through the air.
Kenai starting quarterback Zeke Yragui and backup Tony Perez were equally efficient, with Yragui going 7 of 8 for 87 yards and three touchdowns, and Perez going 7 of 9 for 87 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
In addition to Hayes and Wilson, Makai Johansen, Logan Myers and Sawyer Vann caught touchdown passes. Myers also had a touchdown run.
Vann kicked eight extra points.
The Kenai offense turned the ball over once, with Tristan Charley getting the fumble recovery for the Huskies. Meanwhile, the Kards defense was able to force five turnovers, with Delen Byrd also recovering a kickoff.
Yragui had three interceptions for Kenai, including a 60-yard return for a touchdown as part of the dominant first quarter. Elliot Haakenson and Wyatt Cole also recovered fumbles for Kenai.
“The last time we played these guys, they scored 14 points on us, which is tied for the most points that’s been scored on us this year,” Brand said. “So they do have some dynamic players.”
Brand said the Huskies do play to Kenai’s strength by passing a lot, since the Kards have more defensive backs than defensive linemen. The nasty wind lashing the field, with rain periodically mixing in, didn’t help the passing offense either as the entire second half was played with a running clock.
The Kenai coach said junior Tyler Van Sky led the Kards at inside linebacker on defense. Van Sky came in during the Houston game and did a great job, so Brand rewarded him by playing the entire game against Redington.
“We had a ton of backfield tackles, a ton of sacks, and he really, really stepped up,” Brand said. “He didn’t take his foot off the pedal.”
Brand also gave credit to Cole for a great game on the offensive and defensive lines.
“He’s just relentless,” Brand said. “He loves football, he loves the team, it’s his senior year, and he’s playing like it.”
Kenai hosts Barrow at 2 p.m. Saturday. The Kards lost to the Whalers 8-6 on Aug. 19 in nonconference play. Barrow leads the league at 3-0, while Kenai and Houston are 2-1, Homer and Kodiak are 1-2 and Redington is 0-3.
“We saw them once this year already up there in Barrow,” Brand said. “It was toe to toe and I’m not expecting anything less.”
Saturday
Kardinals 84, Huskies 0
Redington 0 0 0 0 —0
Kenai 49 14 7 14 —84
1st Quarter
Ken — Hayes 43 run (kick failed), 11:15.
Ken — Hayes 37 run (run failed), 10:26.
Ken — Wilson 30 run (Vann kick), 8:08.
Ken — Wilson 25 pass from Yragui (Johansen pass from Yragui), 7:10.
Ken — Yragui 60 interception return (Wilson run), 6:43.
Ken — Johansen 3 pass from Yragui (Vann kick), 4:42.
Ken — Vann 23 pass from Yragui (Vann kick), 3:49.
2nd Quarter
Ken — Myers 17 run (Vann kick), 3:55.
Ken — Hayes 6 run (Vann kick), 1:23.
3rd Quarter
Ken — Wilson 2 run (Vann kick), 8:19.
4th Quarter
Ken — Hayes 8 pass from Perez (Vann kick), 7:56.
Ken — Myers 39 pass from Perez (Vann kick), 5:05.
Red Ken
First downs 3 7
Rushes-yards 23-36 30-245
Passing yards 26 174
Comp-att-int 6-22-3 14-17-0
Return yards 0 159
Punts 4-25.0 0-0
Fumbles 3-2 1-1
Penalties 4-20 7-40
INDIVIDUAL STATS
Rushing — Redington: Ingraham 5-31, Bond 2-(-18), Flores 5-(-1), OMary 3-9, Swalling 5-13, Espinda-Fuaoa 3-2. Kenai: Wilson 6-58, Hayes 10-137, Perez 3-(-7), Byrd 6-19, Campanella 1-12, Myers 2-17, Johansen 1-3, Yragui 1-6.
Passing — Redington: Ingraham 5-17-2—23, Flores 1-5-1—3. Kenai: Yragui 7-8-0—87, Perez 7-9-0—87.
Receiving — Redington: Espinda-Fuaoa 2-10, Kearney 1-6, No. 41 2-7, Murdock 1-3. Kenai: Vann 2-33, Wilson 1-25, Johansen 2-15, Langham 3-23, Haakenson 3-34, Hayes 1-8, Campanella 1-(-3), Myers 1-39.
Redington quarterback Christian Ingraham passes under pressure from Kenai Central on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, at Ed Hollier Field at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai Central’s Sawyer Vann catches a touchdown pass against Redington on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, at Ed Hollier Field at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
